Ciclópolis

Every Sunday morning, between 8am and 2pm, a corridor running the length of Quito is closed to motor traffic and opened to cyclists. A similar thing happens in the UK under the banner 'SkyRide', but Quito's effort is grander in scale and much more frequent.

Cyclo Sunday

The so-called 'ciclopaseo' is organised by Ciclópolis and runs along Avenida Amazonas, cutting through El Ejido park and down Guayaquil into the old town. We hired two bicycles on the corner of Amazonas and Veintimilla and joined the eager crowd of Quiteños early in the morning, heading north on the main road.

Bicicletas

A brief pit stop for fresh fruit and ceviche de chochos from an entrepreneurial stand set up on the side of the road provided us with the necessary breakfast fuel. The route was well organised, complete with water stops, but riding through the northern commercial district made us realise that a capital city doesn't make an inspiring backdrop for cycling.

Breakfast pit stop

Half way along Avenida Gala Plaza Lasso - almost as far as the end of the old airport runway, now Parque Bicentennial - we turned back.

Retracing our route and heading south we stopped at Plaza del Teatro, where three bands on different sides of the square were battling it out, taking turns to invigorate the crowd on what revealed itself to be the warm-up to Independence Day tomorrow.

Independence Day band

After our short ride (approx. 21km), we attempted to find a spot for lunch. Despite apparently being 'Gringolandia', La Mariscal area of town, where we dropped off the bikes, seems to be closed for business on Sundays. Fortunately and fortuitously, El Maple vegetarian restaurant was open and welcoming.

I ordered ajilimojili del chef, which was a Mexican-inspired dish similar to enchiladas, comprising wheat tortillas filled with gluten meat, refried beans with corn tortilla chips, and guacamole.

Enchiladas and beer

K made the superior choice, tucking into an astounding vegan "milanesa napolitana" - a breaded escalope of 'meat' with soya ham and dairy-free mozzarella. The restaurant also served up an excellent example of a a stout ("La Negra") from the cervecería alemana, "Cherusker" located across the road (also closed).

Milanesa napolitana

Vegan cake

On returning home later, we accidentally discovered that today and tomorrow are important dates in the history of Ecuador. Tomorrow is Independence Day and this evening festivities were planned in the historic centre. We bolted back out after dinner to discover crowds of Quiteños blocking the streets.

Quick dinner

The museums were apparently open and free to visit, so many were queuing for entry, while thousands more were thronging the squares and side streets watching entertainers and military bands, complete with uniform, that struck up in various locations.

Independence Day throng

La Ronda was densely packed with people spilling out of every establishment. We found a market seemingly dedicated solely to Ecuador's sweet tooth, with every stall offering a convection of some kind or another. I plumped for some freshly fried buñuelos (small doughnuts) with an aniseedy panela sauce.

Buñuelos doughnuts